The Controversial Naming of the Dam . Hoover Dam . WGBH American Experience | PBS Other General Articles By the time it was officially dedicated on September 30, 1935, the colossal dam project on the Southern Nevada portion of the Colorado river had been called by several different names. In the exploratory stage, the project was referred to as the Boulder Canyon Project. Boulder Canyon was replaced by Black Canyon, when Black Canyon was discovered to be a more suitable spot to place the dam. Having started its legislative life under the moniker of Boulder Canyon, the dam project simply adopted the title Boulder Dam. All of that changed, temporarily at least, on September 17, 1930, when Secretary of the Interior Ray Lyman Wilbur journeyed to the Nevada desert to drive the spike marking the project’s official start. Sweating profusely through his inappropriate wool suit, Wilbur announced, “I have the honor and privilege of giving a name to this new structure. In Black Canyon, under the Boulder Canyon Project Act, it shall be called the Hoover Dam.” Hoover was Wilbur’s boss and the current president of the United States, Herbert Hoover .

He was also, in Wilbur’s estimation, “the great engineer whose vision and persistence, first as chairman of the Colorado River Commission in 1922, and on so many other occasions since, has done so much to make [the Hoover Dam] possible.” Wilbur’s unofficial dedication was greeted with much derision, as the country at the moment was suffering through a crippling depression for which many citizens placed blame squarely on Hoover’s shoulders. The naming of a momentous public works project in his honor was seen by many as bald-faced public relations and little more. Even after Wilbur’s proclamation, the dam was referred to in the press by both names, but it was called Hoover in all official documents and congressional appropriations bills. When Hoover lost the White House to Franklin Roosevelt in 1932, Wilbur lost his position as Interior Secretary to Harold Ickes . Shortly thereafter, Hoover also lost his dam. On May 8, 1933, Ickes decided that the dam in Black Canyon would revert to being called Boulder Dam. Ickes defended his decision by stating, “The men who pioneered this project knew it by this name.” He failed to mention that Herbert Hoover was one of those men.

Few doubted that Ickes’ action was politically motivated and personally charged; he didn’t like Hoover and rejected the notion of his name being attached to any project that would be regarded with honor. Ickes carried his snubbing of Hoover all the way to the day of the dam’s dedication. “This great engineering achievement,” Ickes said, “should not carry the name of any living man but, on the contrary, should be baptized with a designation as bold and characteristic and imagination-stirring as the dam itself.” Ickes failed to mention that dam sites named after Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Calvin Coolidge already existed in Alabama and Arizona. For his part, Hoover, in his memoirs, maintained that having the dam stripped of his name was unimportant. Twelve years later, Hoover was vindicated when House Resolution 140 was introduced and passed by the 80th Congress.

The resolution read, in part, “as President, Herbert Hoover took an active part in settling the engineering problems and location of the dam in Black Canyon…” and noted that “the construction contracts were signed under his administration, and when he left office construction had been pushed to a point where it was more than a year ahead of schedule.” On April 30, 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed the resolution and restored the name Hoover Dam to the structure. How the Hoover Dam got its name Hoover Dam Name How the Hoover Dam received its name Initially the surveyors suggested the dam should be built at Boulder Canyon due to the granite rock floor. This brought about the name "Boulder Canyon." Once the dam's height was reviewed it was determined that Black Canyon would be more suitable since the dam would not have to be as high as at Boulder Canyon. While preparing for the dam's construction, the railroad had to lay track to the dam site. To officially begin the railroad track project, on September 17, 1930, Secretary of the Interior, Ray L. Wilbur, named the dam "Hoover Dam" at the spike driving ceremony. This announcement came as a surprise to reporters.

Then in 1933 the country changed political party representation by voting Democrat President Franklin D. Roosevelt into office. Early in his term on May 8, 1933 Harold Ickes, Secretary of the Interior changed the name back to "Boulder Dam." After 14 years congress felt compelled to pass a joint resolution to change the name back to "Hoover Dam" in honor of the United States 31st president, Herbert Hoover. (Photo courtesy of United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation - Lower Colorado Region) The Hoover Dam Hoover Dam - Lake Mead - Hoover Dam Bridge - Boulder Dam - DesertUSA Hoover Dam Visitor Information - Security - Traffic Information With the official opening of the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge (Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge) in October 2010, vehicles travelling on U.S. Highway 93 no longer cross Hoover Dam. Visitors to the dam must now exit US 93 at Nevada State Route 172 to reach the dam. Additionally, State Route 172 is not open to through-traffic, as the roadway on the Arizona side of the site has been closed.

Vehicles can still cross the dam to visit the Arizona viewpoints and concessions, but all are required to turn around and re-enter Nevada to access Highway 93. Visitors can park in designated lots and walk across the dam for better viewing and photographic opportunities, during daylight hours only. At no time will any vehicles be allowed to stop on top of the dam. Pedestrians are prohibited from the top of the dam during hours of darkness. View from the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge Overview of Hoover Dam Originally called Boulder Dam, this engineering marvel was renamed for Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States. As a conservationist, he was a strong proponent of preserving our natural resources and protecting the nation's lands from misuse, and from destruction by disastrous floods. As an engineer, he strongly supported construction of a high concrete dam on the Colorado River to control the river, and to provide irrigation water to the rich farmlands nearby, and a dependable supply of water for Southern California communities. President Hoover advocated that the Boulder Canyon Project be self-supporting, financed entirely through the sale of hydroelectric power generated at the dam.

He was personally involved in the pre-construction discussions concerning the location, feasibility and safety of the dam -- a dam of unprecedented height and weight and the key to control and regulation of the Colorado River. Lodging Hotels/Motels There are hotels and motels in Boulder City , Henderson , Laughlin , Bullhead City and Las Vegas. See map to right for locations of cities. Click on the name of the city above for rates, availability and reservation online. The Hoover Dam Visitor Center is open, and you are encouraged to visit the facility. The new Discovery Tour is a self-paced tour which provides live presentations at six different locations at the top of the dam. For more information about the new Discovery Tour click here. Noncommercial vehicles that may cross the dam include: Passenger cars History Construction of Hoover Dam began in 1931, and the last concrete was poured in 1935, two years ahead of schedule. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the dam on September 30, 1935. The power plant structures were completed in 1936, and the first generator began commercial operation in October of that year.

The 17th and final generator went into commercial operation in 1961. Hoover Dam was without precedent; it was the greatest dam constructed in its day. An arch-gravity structure rising 726 feet above bedrock, Hoover is still the Western Hemisphere's highest concrete dam. It is 660 feet thick at its base, 45 feet thick at its crest, and stretches 1,244 feet across Black Canyon. There are 4.4 million cubic yards of concrete in the dam, power plant and related structures. Hoover Dam pioneered the Bureau of Reclamation's efforts in multiple-purpose water resources development. The dam controls floods while it stores water for irrigation, municipal, and industrial uses. The dam also provides hydroelectric power generation, recreation and fish and wildlife habitat. Dam Benefits Colorado River water irrigates more than a million acres of land in the U.S., and nearly half a million acres in Mexico. The water helps meet the municipal and industrial needs of over 14 million people. As it passes through Hoover's turbines, the water generates low-cost hydroelectric power for use in Nevada, Arizona and California.

About 4 billion kilowatt-hours of energy, enough for 500,000 homes, are generated annually. Irrigation & Storage Water that was once muddy is now sparkling clear in reservoirs and in stretches of the Colorado River. Hoover and other dams on the Colorado have tamed the turbulent flow, creating clean bodies of water that provide recreation for more than 10 million people each year. These waters have also provided habitats for fish and wildlife in areas that were once nearly barren. Colorado River water stored behind Hoover Dam irrigates some of America's richest farmlands. Valley and mesa lands in the warm desert climate along the river grow a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and other non-surplus crops throughout the year. Major irrigation projects which benefit from Hoover's control and regulation of the Colorado River include the Palo Verde Valley, the Colorado River Indian Reservation, the Yuma and Gila projects in Arizona, and the Imperial and Coachella valleys in California. By regulating the Colorado River, Hoover Dam assures a steady flow of municipal and industrial water to Los Angeles, San Diego and other cities in the Southwest. Phoenix, Arizona was added to the list when the Central Arizona Project began delivering water in 1985.

The Tucson area began to receive project water in 1991. Several agriculture users, a number of smaller cities, and an Indian community between Phoenix and Tucson also benefit from the availability of water. Part of the hydroelectric energy generated at Hoover and Parker dams helps pump water along the Colorado River Aqueduct. The 242-mile-long aqueduct has an annual capacity of 1.212 million acre-feet (1 billion gallons) of water a day. Five pumping stations lift the water 1,617 feet over the mountains between the Colorado River and the coastal plain. Homes and industries in the Las Vegas metropolitan area receive Colorado River water from Lake Mead through the Robert B. Griffith Water Project, which was completed in 1982. Hydroelectric Power Hydroelectric power is created as water rushes through turbines that activate generators. When the water has completed its task, it flows on unchanged to serve other needs. The electricity produced is clean, nonpolluting and, unlike many other forms of energy, renewable. Through the sale of power and water, a major portion of the money used to construct Reclamation projects is returned to the Federal Treasury.

Hoover Dam's approximate $175 million cost was repaid over a 50-year period, with interest. Hoover Dam and power plant revenues from the sale of water and power have repaid approximately $260 million, including interest, to the Federal Treasury, principally from 50-year power contracts that ended May 31, 1987. Several contingencies, including $25 million allocated to flood control, will be repaid with interest over the 30-year contract period which began June 1, 1987. Water is released from Lake Mead through similar sets of diversion works in both walls of Black Canyon. The water, drawn through the intake towers, flows through pipes called penstocks, to the power plants. The penstocks can also be used to discharge water directly from the reservoir to the river below the dam. The spillways were tested in 1941 and not used again until the record high flows of 1983.

Vital Statistics Height: 726.4 feet (221.28 meters) Crest Length: 1,244 feet (379.2 meters) Top Thickness: 45 feet (13.7 meters) Bottom Thickness: 660 feet (201.2 meters) Composition: 3.25 million cubic yards (2.5 million cubic meters) of concrete. The Reservoir (Lake Mead) Hoover Dam History Contact Us Hoover Dam History The Hoover Dam was completed in 1936. At the time, it was the greatest engineering project of its kind ever done. Seventy–five years later it remains an engineering feat attracting millions of visitors each year. When it was built, the Hoover Dam was the world's largest hydroelectric dam and the world's largest concrete structure. The bridge contains enough concrete to pave a highway all the way across the United States. In 1985, the Hoover Dam was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Hoover Dam is named after Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States from 1929–1933 and its first Secretary of Commerce.

He played an instrumental role in getting congressional approval for funding of the dam. The dam, which cost $49 million dollars to build, was constructed to provide irritation water for agriculture, flood control, and for hydroelectric power generation. The impounding of the Colorado River by the Hoover Dam formed Lake Mead , which is the largest reservoir in the United States. Construction on the bridge began in 1931 and took only five years to complete, two years ahead of schedule. The dam was originally called the "Boulder Dam" because the early plan was to build it in the Boulder Canyon section of the Colorado River. However, after further study, the location of the dam was changed eight miles south to the Black Canyon for better physical control of the river below the dam. Hoover Dam was built during the Great Depression. As a federal project, its construction schedule was accelerated to create more jobs. However, workers on the dam faced very dangerous conditions. The tunnels built in the rock walls to construct the dam contained high levels of carbon monoxide generated by the machinery inside, leading to many deaths. Nearly one hundred people died in the construction of the dam. Hoover Dam's construction was a very complicated process.

Since it was the largest structure of its kind ever built, many of the procedures used in its construction had never been done before. For more information on the dam's construction and the architectural styles used, please see the Web site for the dam's administrator, the Bureau of Land Reclamation . Hoover Dam's Impact on Las Vegas | ONE Hoover Dam's Impact on Las Vegas Photograph courtesy of UNR Special Collections. Photograph of Hoover Dam construction at night. The United States government's construction of Hoover Dam, a hydroelectric and reservoir project started on the Colorado River in 1931, was one of the most important developments in Las Vegas history, dramatically affecting its population to the present. In the first quarter century after its unofficial founding during a land auction in 1905, Las Vegas was still known mainly as a major railroad hub in a broad, underdeveloped desert valley between Utah and California. By 1930, Las Vegas had only about 5,200 residents. Nearly all of its small hotels, stores, and other businesses were concentrated on one main thoroughfare, Fremont Street. The town was infamous for its lax enforcement of liquor laws during Prohibition and its backroom brothels on Block 16.

Las Vegas government and business leaders had long heard of plans for a dam project about thirty miles southeast of Las Vegas. In 1928, Congress passed the Boulder Canyon Act (the dam was originally called Boulder Dam and was renamed Hoover Dam, after President Herbert Hoover, in 1947). The city expected the dam to attract manufacturing and other industries seeking cheap and abundant vacant land. But they were disappointed. Major businesses, seeing the lack of housing, water, power, higher education, and other infrastructure in Las Vegas, instead settled in other western states. The city's disappointment grew after Secretary of the Interior Ray Lyman Wilbur visited the dam site and Las Vegas in 1929. He announced that the construction workforce of 5,000 would live in a new town his department would build, closer to the construction site. Originally designated the Boulder Canyon Federal Reservation, it was later called Boulder City.

The government proclaimed that it hoped to house its workers in “a wholesome American community” of “flowers, schools and playgrounds” instead of Las Vegas, which Wilbur called “a boisterous frontier town.” But even as the government started building Boulder City in 1931, development in Las Vegas took off, thanks to new infrastructure and supplies of water and power. Plans were submitted that year for forty buildings in Las Vegas, including offices, warehouses, and many small homes. The city's population increased to 7,500 in only one year by 1931. By the next year, the Union Pacific Railroad spent $400,000 to improve its Las Vegas rail yard, and Clark County approved an $80,000 expansion of its courthouse to handle the increase in legal cases. Meanwhile, the city struggled to help support hundreds of people who came to town looking for work at the dam and wound up living in tents outside of town. The city had to seek funds from the U.S. government to feed and house indigent persons into the mid-1930s.

Federal spending on the $175 million Hoover Dam project began in 1930, and Las Vegas enjoyed much of it. Money spent in Las Vegas related to the project totaled $70 million by 1939. Projects from federal funds—mostly New Deal programs—in the 1930s included paved roads, sewers and a $300,000 federal building downtown. The city itself spent money, mostly from loans in the form of bond issues, to install new street lamps, improve its police and sanitation departments, and build a new high school and hospital. Other changes were in store in anticipation of the dam's construction. In 1929, Consolidated Power & Telephone had opted to split into separate power and phone companies. The new Southern Nevada Telephone increased its network and brought long distance calls to Las Vegas. Southern Nevada Power updated its grid and later hooked it into Hoover Dam, to bring cheap power to Las Vegas and area neighborhoods, when the dam started generating electrical power in 1937. Construction began on Boulder City in March 1931 by Six Companies, Inc., the firm the federal government had awarded the contract to build Hoover Dam.

The dam's payroll was $500,000 per month. Las Vegas businesses successfully lobbied the federal government to require Six Companies to pay its workers in U.S. currency and not in company scrip accepted only in stores in Boulder City. The legalization of casino gambling by the Nevada Legislature in March 1931, which enabled Las Vegas to open and operate legal casinos, also increased revenues from dam workers who came into town after work or on payday. During construction, the Hoover Dam project quickly became a national tourist attraction. Thousands of these visitors spent money in Las Vegas hotels, casinos, and other businesses. In 1932 alone, 100,000 people visited the dam construction site, and 200,000 visited Las Vegas. By 1934, 265,000 people went to the dam site and 300,000 went to Las Vegas. In the 1930s, an estimated seventy-five percent of those visiting the dam also stopped in Las Vegas. The Hoover Dam project also provided the water supply crucial to developing Las Vegas for decades to come.

Under the Colorado River Compact—which awarded seven states bordering the Colorado River shares of 7.5 million acre feet of water—Nevada received 300,000 acre feet. The dam's water supply from Lake Mead made possible the large, master-planned communities such as Summerlin and Green Valley in Southern Nevada. Without the dam and its water supply, the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area would never have seen its population grow to nearly two million by the year 2000. Geographic Area: Hoover Dam Tours near Las Vegas | Pink Jeep Tours Pacific Bridge Company J.F. Shea The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s chief design engineer John Savage was a part of the oversight of the Dam’s concrete arch-gravity dam design . The idea was to build the dam into a wedge shape and divert the water’s force through the Hoover Dam’s canyon rock wall abutments. The bottom of the dam would be 200 meters thick and would narrow to 14 meters thick at the top. Construction on Hoover Dam began very quickly. The initial plan to build housing for the workers before Hoover Dam’s construction was altered when President Hoover moved the construction date up from October to March 1931.

The Six Companies, Inc. built bunkhouses which were attached to the canyon wall to house 480 men. Any worker who was hired with a family was left to make their own arrangements for their family’s lodging. Many families made their way to Boulder City which was under construction. As they waited, many family members lived in a tent city, dubbed by locals as “Rag Town.” The Great Depression era carried with it some unique issues. Many people were out of work and desperately seeking employment. As soon as the Boulder Canyon/Hoover Dam project made national news, a flood of between 15,000 to 20,000 prospective workers descended upon Southern Nevada looking for work with the Six Companies, Inc. In 1932, there were over 3,000 workers on the Six Companies payroll. By 1934 there were 5,251. Because of political and economic factors of the time the Six Companies were forbidden from hiring Chinese labor based on the wording within the Congressional Dam Construction contract. The first portion of the Hoover Dam’s construction revolved around diverting the Colorado River. This would require the building of two coffer dams .

The coffer dams were designed to protect the project from flooding. The upper coffer dam, above where Hoover Dam was to be constructed, was 29 meters high and 230 meters thick at its base. This was engineered to be thicker than Hoover Dam itself as it was to contain 650,000 cubic yards of material. Once the coffer dams were built it was necessary for the workers to clear away erosion soil and other loose material until solid rock was exposed to attach to. The canyon side walls were cleared as well by men who called “high scalers.” These men would dangle over the side of the canyon and chip away at the canyon walls with jackhammers and dynamite. By June of 1933 the foundation excavations were complete. 1,500,000 cubic yards of material had been removed to provide the ideal foundation. Pictured Above: 1930 Boulder Dam Project, Hoover Dam and Appurtenant Works top and side section map; 45-D-3230 Pictured Above: United States Bureau of Reclamation photo showing the release of water from Lake Mead through Hoover Dam’s overflow tunnels. Pictured Above: Hoover Dam Concrete pour.

Pictured Above: The 3 Cent stamp created by the United States Postal Service to commemorate the Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam was not constructed in one continuous pour. If the Bureau of Reclamation had decided to take this approach it would endanger the dam by taking over 125 years to cool ( as a material cement expands as it heats and contracts as it cools ) and risk massive cracks or even crumbling. To effectively construct the dam and provide a faster cure time the engineers came up with an ingenious solution. They decided to build the dam using a series of rectangle concrete blocks that they would pour and stack in columns. Within each rectangular concrete form pipes were embedded to carry cooled river water. This enabled the individual block to cure faster and stop the contraction. The cooling pipes within the block would then be filled with grout. The last of the concrete was poured on May 29, 1935. On September 30, 1933, 10,000 people attended the Hoover Dam dedication ceremony which was given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt . The United States Postal Service also created a 3-cent stamp to commemorate the architectural achievement.

To beautify the Hoover Dam the Bureau of Reclamation tapped Gordon B. Kaufmann (then the supervising architect) to design the exteriors. Mr. Kaufmann streamlined the design by applying an Art Deco style to the Dam. One unique feature was Kaufman’s implementation of two clocks on the intake towers. The intake tower on the Nevada side displayed Nevada time and the tower on Arizona side displayed Arizona time. Kaufman sought additional assistance in his beautification project by hiring Denver artist Allen Tupper True . True created designs that incorporated motifs of Navajo and Pueblo tribes. The art can still be seen throughout the dam today. In 2003, another architectural wonder began to be constructed directly in front of the Hoover Dam. This new marvel would later be named the Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge . The bridge is 1,900 feet long and it has a 1,060 foot span. The new bridge is the first concrete-and-steel composite arch bridge built in the United States and is the second highest bridge in the country.

When you are visiting the Las Vegas, Nevada area, treat yourself to an amazing small group experience by booking a Hoover Dam Top-To-Bottom Tour with Pink Jeep Tours . Fun Questions to Get Answers From Your Pink Jeep Tours Guide: Did the Hoover Dam ever suffer major leaks? If so, how did they fix them? How much electricity does the Hoover Dam generate in a day? Contact Us Pink Jeep® Tours Las Vegas 3629 W. Hacienda Ave. Hoover Dam - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google At the turn of the 20th century, farmers sought to divert the Colorado River to budding Southwestern communities via a series of canals. When the Colorado broke through the canals in 1905, creating the inland Salton Sea, the job of controlling the raging river fell to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Bureau director Arthur Powell Davis in 1922 outlined a plan before Congress for a multipurpose dam in Black Canyon, located on the Arizona- Nevada border. Named the Boulder Canyon project, after the original proposed site, the dam would not only control flooding and irrigation, it would generate and sell hydroelectric power to recoup its costs.

Still, the proposed $165 price tag concerned some lawmakers, while representatives of six of the seven states in the river drainage area—Colorado, Wyoming , Utah , New Mexico , Arizona and Nevada —worried that the water would primarily go to California . Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover brokered the 1922 Colorado River Compact to divide the water proportionally among the seven states, but the legal wrangling continued until outgoing President Calvin Coolidge authorized the Boulder Canyon Project in December 1928. In honor of the new president’s contributions, Secretary of the Interior Ray L. Wilbur announced the structure would be called Hoover Dam at a 1930 dedication ceremony, though the name didn’t become official until 1947. As the Great Depression unfolded, hopeful laborers descended on Las Vegas and set up camp in the surrounding desert for the chance to work on the project. Those who were hired eventually moved to Boulder City, a community specifically built six miles from the work site to house its employees. Meanwhile, the U.S. government set about finding a contractor to build the proposed 60-story arch dam.

The contract was awarded in March 1931 to Six Companies, a group of construction firms that had pooled its resources to meet the steep $5 million performance bond. The first difficult step of construction involved blasting the canyon walls to create four diversion tunnels for the water. Facing strict time deadlines, workers toiled in 140-degree tunnels choked with carbon monoxide and dust, conditions that prompted a six-day strike in August 1931. When two of the tunnels were complete, the excavated rock was used to form a temporary coffer dam that successfully rechanneled the river’s path in November 1932. The second step of involved the clearing of the walls that would contain the dam. Suspended from heights of up to 800 feet above the canyon floor, high scalers wielded 44-pound jackhammers and metal poles to knock loose material, a treacherous task that resulted in casualties from falling workers, equipment and rocks. Meanwhile, the dried riverbed allowed for construction to begin on the powerplant, four intake towers and the dam itself.

Cement was mixed onsite and hoisted across the canyon on one of five 20-ton cableways, a fresh bucket capable of reaching the crews below every 78 seconds. Offsetting the heat generated by cooling concrete, nearly 600 miles of pipe loops were embedded to circulate water through the poured blocks, with workers continually spraying the concrete to keep it moist. As the dam rose, block by block, from the canyon floor, the visual renderings of architect Gordon Kaufmann took form. Electing to emphasize the imposing mass of the structure, Kaufmann kept the smooth, curved face free of adornment. The powerplant was given a futuristic touch with horizontal aluminum fins for windows, while its interior was designed to pay homage to Native American cultures. With the body of water that would become Lake Mead already beginning to swell behind the dam, the final block of concrete was poured and topped off at 726 feet above the canyon floor in 1935. On September 30, a crowd of 20,000 people watched President Franklin Roosevelt commemorate the magnificent structure’s completion.

Approximately 5 million barrels of cement and 45 million pounds of reinforcement steel had gone into what was then the tallest dam in the world, its 6.6 million tons of concrete enough to pave a road from San Francisco to New York City. Altogether, some 21,000 workers contributed to its construction. Hoover Dam fulfilled the goal of disseminating the one-wild Colorado River through the parched Southwest landscape, fueling the development of such major cities as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix. Capable of irrigating 2 million acres, its 17 turbines generate enough electricity to power 1.3 million homes. The dam was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985 and one of America’s Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders in 1994. It receives some 7 million visitors annually, while Lake Mead, the world’s largest reservoir, hosts another 10 million as a popular recreation area. Tags Hoover Dam, Arizona-Nevada Hoover Dam, Arizona-Nevada Steven Dutch, Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay First-time Visitors: Please visit Site Map and Disclaimer . Use "Back" to return here.

Hoover Dam was originally planned to be built across Boulder Canyon (top right), hence the former name for the dam, Boulder Dam. At some point planners realized that building in the present location (actually called Black Canyon) would result in a larger lake with no increase in cost. The contour map above gives only a faint hint of the chaotic landscape south of the dam. The dam and its environs. Comparison of a dam at Boulder Canyon (top) with the actual dam. Not only does the present dam achieve the same water level but it may actually require less material. Pictures below were taken in April 2001, June 2002 and November 2005, accounting for the differences in lighting and water conditions. Memorial plaque honoring Herbert Hoover. The dam was originally to have been built across Boulder Canyon some distance to the north. The site was changed to the present location to create a bigger reservoir but even though the canyon here is Black Canyon, the project was still known as Boulder Dam. It was named Hoover Dam when the project was dedicated in 1930.

In 1933 the Roosevelt Administration changed the name to Boulder Dam, which it remained until 1947, when it was changed back to Hoover Dam. Bench mark on the dam. Below left: Outlet of the dam. Other photos below: looking downstream from the dam. Left and below: Earth in the Precambrian. The terrain immediately south of the dam is one of the most hostile and sinister looking landscapes I know of. Some types of volcanic rocks, especially rhyolites, weather to this chaotic appearance in desert conditions. We can see where the name Black Canyon came from. View of the dam. The old approach to the dam offered few opportunities for viewing or photography, all of them pretty dangerous. A bypass had been planned for some time before 9-11, because of concerns about dangerous cargo crossing the dam. Recently construction began on a bridge over the canyon south of the dam. Left: support tower for cables crossing the canyon. Below: views of the dam face. Left: spillway behind the dam Below left: spillway intake Hoover Dam | Bureau of Reclamation U.S.

93 Construction in Arizona - AZ Dept of Transportation site Learning Packet and School Group Information - Download our Learning Packet for use in the classroom. Also, learn about scheduling a school group trip to Hoover Dam. Other Hoover Dam Activities/Permits Hoover Dam Police Department - Providing law enforcement and security services for the dam and its surrounding security zone. The Department's web pages provide a number of helpful fact sheets on crossing the dam, traveler and visitor safety, lost and found, and other services. Land Use and Trail Event Permits - Permits and procedures required for public events on or around Hoover Dam on lands or waters managed by the Bureau of Reclamation. Paddle Craft and Rafting Permits - Info about permits and procedures to launch a canoe, kayak or personal raft at the site just below Hoover Dam. Filming at Hoover Dam - Details about permits needed for commercial filming and photography at the site. Historical Information/Photographs Hoover Dam Historical Collection - A collection of museum items, historic photographs, and news clippings related to Hoover Dam. Frequently Asked Questions - Answers to the most asked questions regarding the construction and operations of the dam. The Story of Hoover Dam - A series of articles that explain the history and some of the technical aspects of the dam.

These articles offer a more in-depth explanation than the FAQ statements. Photograph Gallery - Historic and modern photographs of the dam. Hoover Dam 75th Anniversary - Photographs, a video, and media coverage of the September 30, 2010 event at the dam. Working at Hoover Dam Job Opportunities - Learn how you can be a part of the team that operates, maintains and secures this American icon. Hoover Dam - Hoover Dam Las Vegas - Vegas Attractions | Vegas.com Cash, Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover. Hoover Dam description Named one of the Top 10 Construction Achievements of the 20th Century, Hoover Dam continues to draw crowds 80 years after its creation. Attracting more than a million visitors a year, Hoover Dam is located in Black Canyon, just minutes outside of Las Vegas. On April 20, 1931, construction began on the Hoover Dam, the largest of its kind at the time. Despite the remote location and harsh working conditions, it was completed on March 1, 1936 in less than five years -- two years ahead of schedule -- and well under budget.

The dam is named after America's 31st president, Herbert Hoover, who played a large role in bringing the nearby states into agreement about water allocations, settling a 25-year controversy. The dam has been called Boulder Canyon Dam as well as Boulder Dam, but Hoover Dam was reinstated as the official name by Congress in 1947. A National Historic Landmark, Hoover Dam is the highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere, standing at more than 725 feet above the Colorado River. With 17 generators producing 4 billion kilowatts of electricity a year, it also is one of the country's largest hydroelectric power facilities. Operation and maintenance of the facility are solely supported by revenue from power sales. Completed in October 2010, the Mike O' Callaghan -- Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge offers spectacular views that were once only available by helicopter. For those who never fully appreciated the dam, it's hard not to become a fan after this. Visitors have access to drive to this bridge and see the dam from a high vantage point. Located about 1,500 feet south of the Hoover Dam, the walkway on the bridge is approximately 900 feet above the Colorado River.

One neat fact is that visitors can go from Nevada to Arizona after crossing the 1,900-foot-long bridge. There are plenty of informative placards before and during the bridge walk. The construction of the bridge came to mind in the 1960s, but didn't actually happen until 40 years later. This bypass was created to not only reduce traffic, but also to protect Lake Mead and the Colorado River from hazardous spills and explosions. Two tours of the dam are available and well worth the time and money spent. For $11 per person (discounts available for children, seniors and active military) is the Hoover Dam Power Plant Tour. It is broken up into several components at numerous locations. The unique tour format allows guests to pick and choose which locations they want to see and the complete tour generally lasts about two hours. The Hoover Dam Power Plant Tour begins with a brief video show depicting the history of Hoover Dam and how it came to be. Afterwards, a guide will escort you to an elevator for a 500-foot descent to get an up-close look at the power plant generators housed at the base of the dam.

Guests will also see the original diversion tunnels and stand atop a giant, 30-foot pipe where they can feel the rumble of Colorado River water racing through it. Another interesting stop on the tour is an observation deck set above the dam affording panoramic views of the Colorado River and Lake Mead. The location also provides a bird's-eye view of the Hoover Dam facility, including an unobstructed look at the dam's mechanical components. The tour continues with several stops along the top of the dam, from the Winged Figures of the Republic to the Nevada Intake Tower. The second tour option is the new Dam Tour. For $30 per person visitors can enjoy all the options of the Power Plant Tour (including access to the visitor's center, observation deck and original Hoover Dam exhibit building), but they will also get to experience a unique and intimate tour of the dam itself. The tour continues with an unprecedented look inside the dam, entering through the inspection tunnels. Visitors will be able to see inspection markings written on the walls from decades past and then peek out of the vents down onto the river below. After the inspection tunnels, guests will get to go deeper into the dam and see the seepage gallery and a set of antique stairs.

This is the ultimate tour for those interested in the Hoover Dam. The view from the dam also offers a breathtaking look at Lake Mead, the country's largest man-made reservoir. Although water levels have been low recently, Lake Mead can store up to 9.2 trillion gallons of water, equal to two years of the river's annual flow. It also has become a popular recreation area, sought out by more than 9 million visitors each year. Note: At the Mike O' Callaghan -- Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, there is limited parking reserved for visiting guests only. Those taking ground transportation tours to the Grand Canyon will be able to cross bridge, but not stop. Depending on the tour vehicle height, guests may not get a view of the Hoover Dam on the way back from the Grand Canyon. View full description 81 Hoover Dam Access Rd, Boulder City, NV 89005 View the map

Question: The Hoover Dam was originally called what?
Answer: Boulder Dam